The 2 Common Mistakes That Lose Contractors Hours And Leads

Most contractors are making these two mistakes, and it’s costing them leads and wasting their time. Are you one of them? We ran the numbers, and it’s worse than you think. Let’s talk about these two small business problems and how to fix them.

Every year, Footbridge Media runs a contractor survey. We use this data to help educate our home service pros, identify strengths and weaknesses, and create a more well-rounded marketing plan.

The Trend: Two Big Business Problems Where Contractors Fail

After analyzing our latest survey data, two surprising problems stood out—issues that are quietly costing contractors hours and lost revenue.

Two common issues each impacted about half to 2/3s of our surveyed contractors. That means the majority of contractors could likely deal with the same issues.

Problem 1: No Automated Review Management (66%)

Most people think reviews happen naturally, but if you’re just waiting, you’re losing business. Here’s what 66% of contractors are getting wrong—and how you can fix it fast.

You work hard to satisfy your customers. Happy customers drive new business—but only if you get their reviews.

And yet - 2/3s of contractors - a shocking 66% don’t use review management software or automation.

The Problem: No System, No Reviews

So many contractors - people with tough personalities who are accustomed to the pain and difficulty of hard labor - get a bout of the jitters when it comes to talking to customers about reviews.

Other home service pros I’ve worked with are afraid they are being too overbearing and asking too much of a customer when they ask for a review.

Without a system, you won’t get enough good reviews—period

And when customers don’t hear good things about you, they hire someone else.

The Reality Check: What Happens Without The Right Software

The 2025 Local Consumer Review Survey from BrightLocal shows that a combined 71% of consumers “always” or “regularly” read online reviews when looking for a local business.

If you’re just waiting for reviews to happen naturally, you’re already losing business to competitors who have a system in place.

The Solution: Review Management System (RMS)

An RMS (Review Management System) makes sense for contractors. Instead of spending hours and hours manually doing the work, this type of software automates and simplifies the review process.

• Automates Initial Outreach — Most systems are set up to accept client contact information and then automatically start sending an email or text message to thank customers for their business and ask for an online review.
• Continued Follow-Up Messaging — An RMS then usually checks to see if a new review has been created. It will then follow up to work on gaining those reviews.
• New Review Notifications — Once a new review has been detected, a good RMS will notify you so that you can read your review and reply where appropriate.

The Payoff: More Jobs, Less Stress, and Better Client Relationships

At this point, a Review Management System is an absolute must for small business owners.

You need reviews, you need to be a part of that process, but you don’t have to do all the grunt work yourself.

Having a system in place that makes the ask easier and helps reduce stumbling blocks that stop a customer from leaving a review is the only way to get more reviews at scale.

Problem 2: No Customer Relationship Management (47.5%)

This next problem might be even worse. If you’re guilty of this one, you’re actively losing jobs, and you might not even realize it.

You work hard to get new leads, but if you don’t have a system to track and follow up with them, you’re losing jobs. And guess what? Nearly half - 47.5% of contractors are doing exactly that!

The Problem: No System = Lost Jobs & Wasted Leads

Ever scribbled a lead’s number on the closest scrap of paper to you — and then lost it? Ever meant to follow up on a job bid, but got too busy running service calls? That’s how contractors lose work.

Without a system, things slip through the cracks—leads go cold, clients feel ignored, you miss out on jobs.

And when customers don’t hear from you, they hire someone else.

The Reality Check: What Happens Without The Right Software

Per Resco - 64% of people who use CRMs agree that these systems improve customer relationships.

The Solution: Simple Customer Relationship Management System (CRM)

A CRM (Customer Relationship Management system) isn’t just for big companies. It’s a game-changer for small businesses, too. Here’s what it does:

• Tracks Every Lead & Job — No more lost phone numbers or forgotten follow-ups—everything is stored in one place. You can see where every customer is in the process—from lead to scheduled to completed job.
• Automates Follow-Ups — When a job is scheduled, a CRM can send an automated message, so that you can confirm appointments without having to do extra legwork yourself.
• Makes You Look More Professional — When you respond quickly and stay organized, clients trust you more.

A contractor who follows up consistently will ALWAYS get more jobs than one who doesn’t.

The Payoff: More Jobs, Less Stress, and Better Client Relationships

A CRM is not a luxury item. Now more than ever, it is a necessity for businesses that want to grow.

It helps you close more jobs, keep clients happy, and take the stress out of managing your business.

Using QuickBooks or something like that for tracking finances and customer data is just fine. It is certainly better than having no system or using a spreadsheet only. But QuickBooks is about your finances, not about marketing and business development.

If you’re still relying on a notepad or your memory, it’s time to upgrade your business management.

Identifying Time Killers In Your Business Workflow

Business development and review management is not the fun part of the business. People don’t start a business because they want to have a fun new way to store customer data.

Identifying the time killers in your business is about finding the parts of your business that generally suck the life out of you.

It’s like the "eating your vegetables" part of your business life. You know you should do it. But it’s usually not that fun, and you’d rather just focus on the bits of your business that are your favorite parts of the meal. But any business plan that is all steak and potatoes and no veggies…that’ll eventually catch up to your business health.

If it is a repeated action you take over and over again for every single client, chances are there is some sort of business system that would help you to do it more consistently and more effectively.

These small inefficiencies add up.

Let’s say you only waste 10 minutes somewhere in your business function every day, which would actually be pretty good. Assuming you work five days a week, that adds up over 40 hours over the the course of a year – an entire traditional workweek of time you’ve lost. Time you could have spent building your business or with your family and friends.

But the right tools can eliminate those small inefficiencies.

Stop Wasting Time & Losing Leads – Get Systems in Place Today

The data doesn’t lie—too many contractors are letting valuable leads slip through the cracks and missing out on easy wins simply because they don’t have the right systems in place.

If you’re serious about growing your business, you need tools that work for you, not against you. A Review Management System (RMS) ensures you’re getting the online reputation you deserve, while a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system helps you stay on top of every lead and job without the stress of manual tracking.

The best part? These tools don’t just save you time—they help you close more jobs, build stronger client relationships, and ultimately make more money.

Don’t be part of the 66% of contractors struggling with reviews or the 47.5% losing leads due to poor management. Take action today and start running your business smarter, not harder.

If you need help figuring out the right tools for your business, the pros at Footbridge Media are always ready to help.

We now have the "Footbridge Dashboard" - your all-in-one solution for CRM, scheduling, and payments, built just for contractors - all available without any contracts and at a low monthly cost.

The Footbridge Dashboard is just one part of our complete contractor marketing program.

About Chris Lonergan

Chris Lonergan has over 12 years of contractor marketing experience with Footbridge Media. With a background in web design, print design, content creation, and online marketing, Chris is focused on providing quality marketing and business solutions in the construction and service industries - helping small business owners to more efficiently manage their companies and grow their operations.

Chris Lonergan has previously contributed to and/or been featured in PM Magazine (Plumbing & Mechanical | Contractors x Engineers), theNEWS (ACHR - Air Conditioning | Heating | Refrigeration), Service Roundtable's blog, inPAINT Magazine, the SMB Marketing Agency Show, and the Green Industry Podcast. Chris is also a past SGI/CertainPath breakout session presenter.

About Chris Lonergan